Stalk-chopping device.



J. B. GEORGE & 0. STELZIG. STALK SHOPPING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 30, 1911. RENEWED OCT. 28, 1912. 1 52 2 Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEET S-SHBET 1.

, zzzzzeg 5'60/"6 J. B. GEORGE & 0. STBLZIG. STALK OHOPPING DEVICE.

N FILED DBO. 30,1911. RENEWED OCT. 28, 191-2.

APPLIOATIO 1,05%,24Q V Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

6 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2, 25 ff 5 7 99 l 4 P l? R I l 2 4 5/ j 6 7 A? a d) B 6/ A 9 4 66m Sig/ff? JAMES B. GEORGE AND OSCAR STELZIG, OF HAMLIN, TEXAS.

STALK-CHOPPING DEVICE.

1,052,240. Application filed. December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMEsB. GEORGE and OSCAR Srnnzrc, citizens of the United States, residing at Hamlin, in the county of Jones and State of Texas, have invented certa in new and useful Improvements in Stalk- Chopping Devices, of-which the following is a specification."

This invention relates to stalk chopping devices, and it has particular referenceto a device of this class which may be convenient-ly' applied to and used in connection with a wheel plow or similar implement whereby the stalks, subsequent to belng chopped into bits will be plowed under and covered with soil, thereby hastening the decay of the stalks and increasing the value thereof for fertilizing purposes.

The principal object of the invention is to produce a simple and improved stalk chopping device which may be conveniently mounted on the'tongue of an ordinary wheel plow or similar implement, means being provided whereby the stalk cutting device may be thrown into or out of operation and whereby it may beheld in ground engaging rious elevations above the draft elements of the stalk cut-' ting device purpose set forth.

arrangement and position with the requisite amount of pressure toinsure effective work.

A- further object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved construction whereby the stalk cutting attachmentnmay be applied to and used in connection with vehicle tongues that are positioned at vaground, thesupporting and being made adjustable. for. the

will readily appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same con- With these and other ends'in view which sists in the improved construction and novel combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the recise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

. In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side eleration showing the improved stalk cutting of a wheel device mounted upon the tongue Flg. 2 1s a plow of conventional pattern.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' provided with here 3 are provided at their lower Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

30, 1911, Serial No. 668,729. Renewed October 28, 1912. Serial No. 728,246.

top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a ver- -tical longitudinal sectional view, showing the device applied to a tongue at a greater elevation above the ground than in Fig. l, and showing how the parts may be adjusted to meet these conditions. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 49-4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail View showing the supporting frame, detached.

- Corresponding parts in the several figures are'denoted by like characters of reference.

The stalk cut-ting implement shown at A is mounted for rotation on a shaft or axle 1, mounted in suitable bearings afforded by a supporting frame B and a draft frame C. The supporting frame B includes upper and lower side members 2 and 3, the former being provided upon their inner opposed faces with keepers -1 wherein the lower side members 3 are slidably supported. The upper side members 2, '2 are connected together by means of a cross bar or brace 5 which may be secured by means of screws or bolts 6 in some ofthe keepers 4: so as not to obstruct the sliding movement of the lowerside members 3. The cross bar 5 is downwardly extending apertured lugs 7 for thepassage of screw threaded rods 8, the inner ends of which are connected together by means of a turn buckle 9 confined between the lugs 8. The outer ends of the rods 8 are guided through collars 10 on some of the keepers and are. preferably provided with non-circular portions formed, for instance, by splines 11 operating in the collars 10 to prevent the rods from turning therein, thus enabling the said rods to be effectively operated by means of the turn buckle for the purpose of moving them' toward or from each other, as will be readily understood. The outer extremities of the rods 8 which extend through the walls of the keepers 4 having the collars 10- are adapted to engage apertures 12 in theslidable side. members 3, which latter may thus be securely retained andsupported at various adjustments. The side mem ends with eyes or open ngs 13 for the reception of the shaft 1. The upper extremities of the upper sidemembers 2 are other. to form brackets 14 having'upwardly extending terminal lugs 15. r

The -construction of the draft frameC is inevery respect identical with that of its bent toward each I shown as being positioned adjacent tothe the supporting frame B, being composed 'ing downwardly extending lugs 7 for the reception of rods 8, the inner ends of which are screw threaded and are connected to- .1 .gether by means of a turn buckle 9. The

the

outer ends of the rod .8 are provided with splines 11 guided through collars 10"on some of the keepers 4' and are adapted to engage apertures 12' in the lower side-members 3', which latter are provided at their lower ends with. eyes or apertures 13' for mem ers of the draft frame have been inner faces of the lower side members of the supporting frame. The upper ends of the upper side members 2' of the draft frame are bent in the direction of each other to form brackets 14 having terminal lugs 15. p The stalk cutting element A which has been shownas mounted upon the shaft 1 is composed .of heads 16 having radially extending arms or spokes 17 provided with shoulders 18 to support the cutting blades or knives 19 whic upon the radial arms or spokes by fastening members, such as bolts 20. The stalk cuttingelement is adapted to be rotated by i ground, the knives orcutting bla engagement with the stalks lying on the as being positioned sufiicient'ly close together to cause the stalks to be cut into bitsof suitable dimensions to be readily plowed under.

. The improved device has been shown in Figs; 1 and 3 as being applied to the tongue ber, such as a bolt 26, passingthrough the l 21 of a wheel plow, which latter may be of 45 any, desired type or pattern. A clamp 22 mounted on the tongue is provided with upstanding lugs 23 vconnected by a clamping bolt '24, which latter also constitutes the fulcrum of a bell crank lever L having a short arm 25 with which the upper ends of the side members of "the "supporting frame B are connected by means of a pivot memupstanding ears or lugs 15. The 'long 'arm '27 of the bellcrank constitutes a handle whereby it'may be conveniently operated to raise or lowerthe supporting frame, said so the lever and related parts -in adjusted pohandle member being provided with 'a spring actuated stop member 28 engaging a quadrant29 for the purpose of securing sition. A second clamp 30 suitably mounted on the tongue 21 is connected by a pivot member, such as'a bolt 31, with the-lugs 15 of the side members of the draft frame.

assage of the shaft 1. The lower side latter may be secured- .sui members, the lower s1de members being supported slidably with reference to the upper paasgo To prevent the clamp 30 from sliding alongthe tongue 21, said clam includes a transverse bolt 32 which is tted in a seat 33 of a block or strap 34 which is suitably bolted or otherwise secured upon the tongue by fastening members '35.

As will be readily seen from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the arrangement of the improved stalk cutting device is such that by manipulating the bell crank lever L, it may be raised from or lowered into engagement with the ground, it being understoodthat the tongue is straddled by the supportingframe B, while the draft frame C is disposed beneath the tongue. In traveling over the ground, the cutting element will be rotated by contact with the stalks, the latter being cut and chopped, as'will be readily understood,' and subsequently plowed under by the plow which follows behind.

In transferring the stalk cutting device from one implement to another in which the tongue is located. at a different-elevation,

the supporting and" draft frames may be lengthened or shortened by first operating. the turn buckles to disengage the rods' 8 from the apertures in the lowerside members of the frames, after which said lower s1de members may .be'slidor moved within the supporting guides or .keepers to the desired position, after which the turn buckles are manipulated to restore the rods 8 to engagement with some of the recesses in the said lower side members, which will thus be firmly secured in adjusted position.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a stalk cutting attachment for wheel plows, the combination with a draft tongue, of a supporting frame straddling said tongue, a clamp engaging the tongue, a

ios

draft frame pivotally. connected with said] clamp beneath the tongue, said supporting frame and draft frame including side members having bearings at their lower ends, the

side members of the draft frame being positioned adjacent to the inner faces of. the supporting frame, a shaft supported in the bearings of the supporting frame and the draft frame, and a revolvmg stalk cutting element carried by the said shaft; and lever means mounted on the tongue and connected with the supporting frame for effecting vertical adjustment of the stalk cutting element. y t

2. In a stalk cutting device, the combina tion with a revolving stalk cutting element and a shaft support-ing the same, of supporting means for said shaft comprising a sup rting frame and a draft frame,each of frames including upper and lower side i for the shaft.

side members and equipped with bearings 3. In a stalk cutting device, a resolving stalk cutting element, a supporting shaft for the same, and supporting means for said shaft including a frame comprising upper and lower side members, the upper side members being provided with keepers in which the lower side members are movably supported, said lower side members being provided with bearings for the shaft supporting the rotary chopping element, and means associated with t 1e upper side members for retaining the lower side members at various adjustments.

4. In a stalk cutting device, a rotary chopping element, a shaft supporting the same, supporting means for said shaft including a supporting frame and a draft frame, said supporting frame and draft frame being of similar construction, and each comprising upper side members having keepers on their inner faces, lower slde members slidable in.

said keepers and having bearings for the shaftof the rotary cutting element, a cross brace secured upon some of the keepers and connecting the upper side members, said cross brace being provided with downwardly extending lugs, threaded rods guided through said lugs and operating through some of the keepers, and a turn buckle positioned between the lugs and engaging the threaded rods; the lower side members being provided with apertures to receive the outer ends of the threaded rods, and means bein provided to prevent said rods from rotatlng when actuated by the turn buckle.

.In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

C. P. CHASTAIN, S. T. LONG. 

